In The Midst of Grey
by Bounemr
Summary: A rather eccentric graduating class begins their famed Pokemon journey. Of course, if nothing went wrong, it wouldn't be much of a story would it? Here we will record the events which led up to the moment no one in the Pokemon world will forget. All sorts of relationships in here. Gay, straight, pokemonxhuman. Lemons in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: MalexMale, PokemonxHuman, MalexFemale, Possible FemalexFemale relationships. Lemons in later chapters. Don't like, don't read.**

**Okay, so this has been sitting in my computer for at least a couple months. I'm focusing on my Naruto fic right now, so chapters on this will be few and far between at best, but I decided to post this anyway.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nothin'**

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In The Midst of Grey

**Kit POV: **Five Days Before Graduation

"Mom, he slept here again." I yelled, poking the sleeping human with a paw.

"Shush, Kit. Let him sleep." My 'mother', a mightyena that took care of me after my parents died, barely glanced at me and the human before going back to attempting to wake up her biological son. I call him my little brother.

"But he's so much more fun when he's awake. Unless…"

"No you may not use his body as a canvas for one of your sadistic carvings." So what if I was planning on cutting open his flesh, art is art, right? "It's creepy enough when you do it to the prey."

"It's art. Red just happens to be a common theme."

"You can make red without blood."

"Well, if he doesn't wake up soon I'm going to get tempted. Besides, doesn't he have to go to school soon?"

Mom sighed. "Fine, wake him up. But don't hurt him."

I paced near the human's head, "Hmm, without hurting him huh? I _guess _that's possible." I crawled onto his chest, and stood so that my face was near his. Suddenly, his hand appeared below my body and lifted me up.

"Can't surprise me, Kit." He said, grinning.

Slowly, I was lowered back onto his chest, which I promptly sat on. "Sunrise, Will, _you've_ got school." He groaned and covered his eyes with his arm. "Get ready, you lazy human. The day has begun."

"Who're you to call _me_ lazy? I'm the one that has to walk from Petalburg to Littleroot every day."

"Yes, because you _always _walk home to Littleroot. You've _never_ stopped halfway and decided to sleep in a cave with a group of Pokémon. I mean really. Someone who puts _so_ much effort into walking short distances would never slack off like that."

"Exactly." Will responded tiredly, shutting his eyes.

"Dude, get up. School's calling. Education is important and all that."

Will simply turned onto his side, wrapping an arm around me and hugging me close. "Come with me."

"I thought you were mute at school."

"I am, so what?"

"Well how much fun will it be to sit in a room with a bunch of humans when the only one that can understand me won't even talk?" Interestingly enough, Will, the one known in the city as 'that kid that never talks' (seriously, people are so creative aren't they?) can, and does, talk to Pokémon. Even humans don't like humans. Not that I don't like humans, it's just that apparently, many find my art horrifying. Not that Pokémon don't, it's just, well… I eat poliwag anyway, so I really don't see what was so bad about it.

"It's school, Kit, there's nothing fun about it. But we're having battle training today, you can fight. Just don't… you know… seriously injure any of the school's Pokémon."

"Oh, is that today? 'Course I'll go then." I almost giggled. Arceus, I actually _am_ just a little bit sadistic, aren't I? Although, school sanctioned Pokémon battles are a bit tame. I've only ever participated in two before. The first time… well let's just say that poliwag was kind of a bitch. The second time, however, the zigzagoon I fought left the battle with only major injuries. Nothing fatal though, so I'm getting better.

"Be careful though, if you pull another incident like with that poliwag, then they might not let me bring you anymore."

"For the record, I still say that poliwag was a bitch."

"How was she a bitch?"

"She just walked up to me, all bubbly and whatnot, saying 'hi' like I was her friend or something."

"And that's reason to sift through her internal organs?"

"It was _how_ she said it! She was so damn _cheerful_! It was disgusting! Besides, the skin on her belly is clear. You could see her innards, who can blame me for wanting a closer look?" Will gave me a blank stare. "What?"

"Just… just try not to maim anyone." He turned away, shaking his head. Oh Will, always the pacifist.

I shrugged, "No promises."

"Hold on, you two." Mom said as we prepared to leave. "Will, you look like you've been rolling around in the dirt." Will pointedly looked down at the dirt floor he had been sleeping on. "Go to the river and get clean before you go into the city. Kit, you can join him. If you are going with him, you have to look presentable."

"Since when does a _wild_ Pokémon have to look presentable?" Seriously, by the end of the day, my fur will most likely be red anyway… not that I would _say_ that.

"Since I said so, now go, you can't be late." Mothers. I wonder when they first started using the 'I said so' line of reasoning. Probably since ancient times, I guess some customs never really die out.

Sighing, I quietly left the cave and headed toward the nearby river. Upon arrival, Will stripped as I carefully checked the temperature of the water, because sometimes it's freezing. (I come by here rather often to get large quantities of blood off my fur.) "Water's fine, you can just jump in." I yelled over my shoulder to Will before jumping into the water myself. (There's a large rock near us that I commonly use as a platform to jump off of.) Will preferred to just wade in.

As I set to work cleaning myself, (Lick. Lick. Lick. Arceus this is boring. I wonder how my next fight is going to go. I'll probably annihilate my opponent. Why isn't there ever any real challenge? Where the hell is my coffee?! Oh yeah, I'm a Pokémon, I don't drink coffee. I wonder if Will would buy me some coffee if I asked nicely.) It suddenly occurred to me that the school year is almost over. Soon Will might be setting off on a journey around the region, or even the world. Technically, he could've last year, but he suddenly vanished just before he was supposed to leave. He met the age requirement last year when he turned sixteen and now he's going to turn seventeen in… crap, in a week. How did I not see this coming? We _share_ a birthday for Arceus' sake, how did I manage to forget my own birthday? "Shit…" I said softly.

"Did you forget our birthday again?"

"Yeah…"

Will chuckled, "That's okay, I don't like birthdays anyway, remember?"

"I know, but I'm still getting you something you depressed little human."

"I'm not depressed! I'm just… not as enthusiastic about life as other people. Anyway, what do you want for _your_ birthday? " Yes he is. Once I found him with a razor, it scared the shit out of me. He claimed he was 'masochistically curious' and that he didn't actually intend to kill himself, but it did leave scars. Faint scars, but they're visible if you pay attention.

"Keep telling yourself that. Anyway, most of the dirt is off, it's probably better to get out now, hopefully you won't soak your clothes when you have to put them on." After we had left the water, I shook some of it out of my fur and continued. "So am I going to meet your friends? Oh, and will you get me some coffee?"

"I don't think giving you coffee would be a good idea. For the safety of all life in this general area, I'm going to have to say no." Worth a shot. "And do you seriously think I have friends? I don't talk at school." I stared at him. Does he really think I missed that scent? "Well, I suppose there's one girl I _might_ consider a friend." Ha, knew it. "I don't talk to her, but she sits with me at lunch. She's one of the ones getting their trainer's license this year. A battler, I think." Oh, so she's a battler, my favorite kind of human.

"Speaking of which, who _are_ the battler's this year?" The battlers are a group of three people chosen by the battle instructor at their school to be full-fledged trainers. There are a total of five groups, with three students each. There are the battlers, the rich kids, chosen by the principal usually because their parents promise large donations to the school, the geniuses, who are the three highest ranking in terms of grades, the lucky ones, who are chosen randomly by lots, and the teacher's pets, who are chosen by the teachers (excluding the battle instructor). I know Will is going to get his trainer's license as one of the geniuses.

"Well, there's her, you can see her yourself at lunchtime, a boy named Ronan, I have survival class with him, I'll point him out to you, and another boy I don't really know. I don't pay much attention to him, so I don't even know his name. He's friends with Ronan though, they usually hang out together during survival class, and you can see him then too. Sorry, but I don't have battle with any of them."

"Well that's a shame. I really wanted to beat the crap out of one of the battlers."

"Ironic, but really, the only reason _I'm_ not a battler is that I'm already a genius, plus I think you ripping apart a poliwag probably gave the instructor a bad impression." Will had started putting his clothes back on, I suppose he thought he was dry enough.

"I didn't kill the zigzagoon though."

"That doesn't take away from the fact that you mentally scarred twenty people the first time."

"Well I think if they're trying to be trainers they need to get used to the idea that Pokémon die. I get the impression that people seem to think we'll be fine no matter what as long as they take us to a Pokémon Center." Before Will could respond, a girl's scream sounded somewhere in the direction of the cave. We met each other's eyes for a second, mutually deciding to investigate, and darted into the forest. When we reached the cave we call home, we were greeted by the sight of Mom snarling at a girl who I assumed was about the same age as Will. She was on the ground, backed up against a tree. We both rushed toward Mom. I rubbed up against her leg, and Will embraced her comfortingly.

"What happened?" Will asked her, his voice completely calm and void of emotion.

"I went out to get some berries, when I got back, I found her with your little brother. I'm sorry," She immediately stopped snarling and drooped her head, "They were just playing, I realize that now, but I got scared."

"It's all right," I said, "No one got hurt."

Will, who was on his knees to be at the same level as the mightyena, stood and walked over to our little brother. "It was all just a misunderstanding little bro, no harm done, I promise." Little bro, who was shaking like a leaf and crying at the aggressiveness he had never seen from his mother before, seemed to calm down and crawled toward Will, who picked him up and allowed him to curl up in arms. "Now you," he turned to the girl, "I know you're not a genius, but I would think you'd know better than to play with a poochyena without permission from its mother. Mothers of all species, _especially_ mightyena, are _extremely_ dangerous if they think their kid might be in danger." The stern gaze Will held for the duration of this lecture was suddenly dropped, replaced by a completely emotionless mask that he usually wore around other humans. He held out a hand to help her onto her feet. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah, just a little frightened." When she was on her feet, she suddenly hugged Will tight. He managed to get little bro out of the way before her body pressed up against his, but the look on his face was so fucking _hilarious_. It was just so _obvious_ how uncomfortable that made him. "Th-thank you."

"Uhh, no problem." When they had separated, he continued, "What are you doing here? It's dangerous to be in the forest without a Pokémon. Oh, sorry, just a second. Kit, this is Serena, she's the battler I was telling you about." This is the battler huh? She's cute, not the type I imagined to be with Will though, she's a little too… girly, I guess. She dressed fine, just practical blue jeans and an orange t-shirt, only just dim enough to be bearable (I can't stand those bright neon colors.), but her mannerisms are what defines her. There's the hug, first of all. She's a toucher, Will doesn't like to be touched. I know she's touched him before because I could pick up her scent on him earlier in the year. Also the way she holds herself, it's like she's _trying_ to be feminine. Makes me think she's trying to be a 'popular' girl. Of course this is a first impression. I'll learn more later… maybe.

"Kit?" She looked at me before her eyes went wide. "Is that the eevee that tore that poliwag to shreds?"

I rolled my eyes and Will responded, "Yep, but he's probably not going to kill anyone today."

"You mean you're bringing him back to school?!"

"Why not? The zigzagoon he fought last time only had major injuries." There you go Will, now you're thinking my way.

Serena sighed, and then her eyes went wide again. "Wait a minute. Y-you _talked_."

Will smirked ever so slightly and teasingly stated, "Yeah, humans do that."

"B-but you've never talked before!"

"I dislike humans. I don't wish to communicate with most of them."

Serena met Will's emotionless gaze with a quizzical stare, then seemingly dismissed the statement, only replying with, "I always thought you were mute."

Will shrugged, "Most people do. Why are you here?"

"I was looking for pecha berries. I read that they grow around here, and we ran out at home. One of the Pokémon had a run in with a wurmple. Apparently it knew poison sting, and we had to use our last one. We have antidotes, but I prefer to use berries instead of man-made stuff."

Will nodded thoughtfully, "Right, follow me." It couldn't have taken more than a couple minutes to walk to the tree where we usually get our pecha berries from. When we had arrived, Will gently set down little brother and skillfully scaled the tree. He'd done this so many times before, his lithe body reminded me a little of an aipom with how easy he made it look.

"Wow, I'd think you live here." Serena mumbled, seemingly a tad bit out of awe.

"Catch." Will had begun picking several berries and was dropping them down to Serena, who was putting them into a paper bag.

"So why are _you_ here?"

"It is of no concern to you."

"But the forest is dangerous, I'm just worried about you." Silly girl, worrying about Will is about as pointless as a voltorb. Now that I'm thinking about it, so is trying to start a conversation with him.

"I can handle myself, besides, I have Kit with me. We should be leaving, we'll be late if we linger here." Will simply jumped down from the tree, and started walking toward town. "Do you know your way back? If not, I suggest you stay close." Wow, Will is actually offering his company. That's highly unusual. Then again, he does worry about people's safety. He probably just doesn't want her to get attacked or raped or anything. Even though he acts emotionless, he is genuinely concerned with all living thing's safety, even things he's not fond of.

Serena said nothing; instead, she just followed a few steps behind Will and me.

"Hey Will, have you ever considered talking at school?"

"Why?" His voice was so quiet Serena probably wouldn't have heard him if she had been right next to him, but because eevee have better hearing than humans; I was able to understand him.

"Well I was just thinking, a journey would probably be more fun if we had a human friend. If nothing else, it would certainly be more interesting." I can't believe these words are coming out of my mouth. In case it isn't obvious, I'm not particularly social. Why the thought even crossed my mind is beyond me.

"I'd probably have to learn to be friendly first." Well that could take a while. "Hey Serena," He called over his shoulder, "We're here." Stepping into the city, I knew that the school was not too far away.

"Thank you for helping me, I'm going to take these home before heading to school. See you there!" She smiled cheerfully, too cheerfully, and ran off.

"Hey Will," Will didn't look at me, but I could tell he was listening, "Carry me. I'm going to sleep, wake me up when it's time to battle."

Will rolled his eyes saying, "Yeah, and you call _me_ lazy." Nonetheless, he did stop and scoop me up off the ground. I curled into a tight ball, and promptly fell asleep, and the next thing I knew, I was in the school battle room. Basically, it's designed pretty much the same as a standard gym. The field is marked in white on the dirt floor, and the rest of the large room is barren save for some bleachers off to the side. Currently, I was in Will's lap, on the bleachers.

"Is it nearly time to fight?" I yawned, stretching. He nodded only just enough for me to know what he meant. "Cool."

"Teachers, please excuse the interruption," The intercom blared to life just as the battle instructor called Will's name (hesitating when he saw me. That was hilarious.). "Please send all graduating students to the auditorium for a special announcement. Thank you."

"Arceus, what the fuck?! I wanted to destroy someone!" Will stared at me, completely emotionless as usual when he is at school, but I could tell what he was thinking. "Uhh, well, I mean, I wanted to have a friendly competition with someone in which no one is permanently injured! Yeah, that's what I meant!" I chuckled sheepishly before he picked me up and left when the teacher dismissed him.

We ran into Serena in the hall and eventually made it to the auditorium. The principal, a jolly, aging man, greeted us at the door and had us wait in the hall until all fifteen students had arrived. "Welcome students! It's such a joy to see all of your smiling faces!" I did a quick scan of the faces around me. One of them was smiling. That one was the principal's.

"Crazy old man." I muttered.

"Today, we have a special treat for you all. This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm sure you all have heard of Pokémon Rangers, yes? They are unique to certain regions, so Hoenn rarely sees them. But, one Ranger happened to be in Hoenn, and he has agreed to teach a small class, just for fun. I encourage you all to ask whatever questions you have. You may never have another opportunity to speak with a Ranger." The students started talking amongst themselves when the principal went inside to check if the ranger was ready. "Okay students! The ranger is ready for you all! I trust you all will treat Mr. Stone with respect." The name 'Stone' almost echoed though the group.

"Isn't 'Stone' the last name of one of the old champions?" One student, a female dressed in black, asked. This student for some reason makes an impression on me, she's probably the type that Will could be friends with… maybe. She has long, straight, jet black hair. It extends down to the small of her back behind her, and her bangs are swept to the side, covering her left eye. Her clothing was black as her hair, a fishnet long-sleeved shirt in which the sleeves extended over the palm and narrowed until they connected to themselves between her index and middle finger, under a plain black tank-top that only extended to just over her belly-button. The fishnet shirt continued and 'covered' the skin between her black shirt and her loose-fitting blue jeans. Basically, the impression you get is 'emo', but I think she might be one of the geniuses. So yeah, emo. Will told me all of the geniuses this year have depression. Based on that, I have no idea who the third one is. No one else stands out very much, most of them wearing bored, confused, or excited faces and plain jeans and t-shirts.

"Yeah, it's also the last name of the family running the Devon Corporation." Another student answered.

Upon entering the auditorium, the first thing I saw was the ranger on stage. Dressed in the Almia Ranger uniform, he was rubbing the head of a blaziken playfully. "Hunter!" I exclaimed in surprise. Hunter Stone was an old friend of Will and me. His parents sent him to Almia when he and Will were seven. Hunter turned his head and locked eyes with me. He smiled widely, and I leaped out of Will's arms and headed toward stage.

"How you doing little buddy?" Hunter ruffled the fur on my head. "Have you and Will been causing trouble for the teachers?"

"Duh, of course!" I nodded enthusiastically so that he would know what I said. He can't understand Pokémon like Will can.

"Good. We got to keep them on their toes right? They need to be able to handle anything…"

"So we need to throw everything at them." I finished what basically became our motto when we were younger. Hunter, Will, Blaze, and I were _huge_ troublemakers when we lived together in Rustboro. "Whoa, is that you Blaze?! Last I saw you; you had only just evolved into a combusken!"

"And last I saw _you_; you were an annoying little eevee. It's good to see some things don't change." Blaze, the blaziken, teased me.

"Sure is!" I agreed, ignoring the playful insult.

"Alright everyone!" Hunter started addressing the students. "My name is Hunter Stone. If you're wondering, the old champion and current leader of the Devon Corporation, Steven Stone, is my dad. I'm here to answer any questions you have about Pokémon Rangers. Since I can't imagine why any of you would actually _need _to know anything other than the basics of the job, I also brought school stylers. I thought you all could play student rangers for a day." Hunter smiled at the excited reaction from the crowd. "But before that, can anyone tell me what a Ranger's job is?"

The girl in black raised her hand. After being called upon, she said, "To defend the Pokémon and their environment."

"Very good! As a Ranger, my job is to protect nature. Mostly, Rangers are supposed to deal with natural disasters, but I do handle things like theft, arson, and the occasional murder, so I'm pretty much a combination of a police officer and a Pokémon Trainer, which brings us to the next question. What is the difference of a trainer and a Ranger?"

Several students raised their hands, and Hunter called on a random boy. "A Ranger doesn't capture Pokémon in pokeballs; he uses the styler to befriend a Pokémon which will help him when he needs it."

"Exactly. Also, as I said, I'm also very similar to a police officer, therefore I am authorized to arrest people, carry a firearm, and all that other police business. Oh, and no, I don't carry a firearm with me." He laughed cheerfully. "Alright, this," He held up his right wrist which had his styler attached to it. "This is what is known as a Fine Styler. This kind of styler is given only to Top Rangers. This is a regular Capture Styler." He held up a red device that looked like a handheld version of what was on his wrist. Holding up what looked like the same thing, only in green, he said, "And this is a School Styler. The School Styler has many of its functions limited or locked and it's the kind you will be using. To perform a capture, it's slightly different between your stylers and mine. On the fine styler, this black band here is actually a sensor. I touch the sensor and the Capture Disc follows my finger, alternatively, there is a hidden analog stick, and a motion sensor, so I can use whichever is easiest. For your School Stylers, along with the regular Capture Styler, there is an analog stick in the center, you'll see more clearly in a moment when I hand them out. Everyone come onto the stage." Once everyone was lined up on the edge of the stage, Hunter grabbed a large box and started handing out the stylers to the students. "Okay, now watch, I'll use a regular styler because it's more similar to yours."

Everyone leaned in to see and Hunter pressed down on the analog stick. "You have to push in the analog stick to start a capture. Everyone do that now, but don't move it just yet." One by one, fifteen Capture Discs appeared floating on the stage. "Good, now to move the Capture Disc, in case it isn't obvious enough, you simply move the analog stick. Everyone move it around a bit, but be careful not to hit someone else's. If you like, you can press the 'up' arrow and the disc will respond to the motion sensor on the styler's antenna. Since it hovers a set distance off the ground, moving the censor up will move the disc farther away and down will bring it closer." Everyone accomplished this task rather easily. "Okay, now the goal in a capture is to move the Capture Disc around the target Pokémon to complete a loop. Depending on the strength and how pissed off a Pokémon is, it can take anywhere from one to hundreds of loops to capture a Pokémon. If a Pokémon runs into the loop, or its attacks hit the loop, the line will be broken. Watch. Blaze, may I?" Blaze nodded and stood as the Capture Disc circled him. "Now Blaze will touch the line." Blaze nodded and simply walked through the line, causing the entire line of light to vanish. "Now as you can see the line has been broken. Should Blaze attack the line, or the disc itself, it will be damaged. A ranger has to keep in mind how damaged his styler is before a capture, because if it breaks, the Ranger would be defenseless, unless of course he has a partner Pokémon, but unfortunately, often these Pokémon are not trained for battles and therefore… well, I'm pretty sure you all can imagine what would happen. The styler or disc can always be repaired at any Ranger Base. Anyway, that's pretty much it. Using the school Pokémon, I'll demonstrate a capture, and then you all can try it, after that we will have a short question and answer segment before you are all dismissed."

Hunter motioned to the principal, who released a zigzagoon onto the stage. The capture lasted _maybe_ two seconds. "Most wild Pokémon will either become frightened by the line, or will ignore it completely. The ones that ignore it are the easiest to capture." Fifteen uneventful captures later, soon after Hunter had picked up all the stylers and the principal had taken the box and left the auditorium, he said "Alright then, any questions? Yes, you there."

"So that blaziken is your partner Pokémon?"

"That is correct, yes."

"How did you meet?"

"Oh, I actually found him as an egg when I was living in Rustboro City. Tragic story really, he had been abandoned. I searched and searched for his parents. Eventually, I heard that the local Nurse Joy had been watching over the family, and that both his parents had passed away shortly before I found him. I never did find out how they died, but Nurse Joy entrusted the egg to me. When he hatched we became best friends. Any more questions?"

"What made you become a Ranger?" One of the kids yelled out.

"Honestly? Parents. My mom and dad thought it would be good for me. Before they said anything I had never thought about it. Living in Hoenn, becoming a Pokémon Ranger never really crossed my mind because we don't have them here. Once the idea was in my head though, I never wanted to be anything else."

"Did you miss Hoenn while you were in Almia?"

"You couldn't even begin to understand the gravity of my homesickness. Almia is nice and all, but leaving Hoenn was probably the hardest thing I've ever done. My best friend and I did everything together. So try to imagine being separated from your closest friend. That's basically what happened. I had to leave behind my closest friend and my home to go to a place where I knew no one. But, in the end, I don't regret my choice. I'd do it all again to keep being a Ranger."

"Are you happy to be back in Hoenn? Did you meet back up with your old friend?"

"Oh hell yes I am happy to be back! It feels so great to be home! And as for the second question, I plan on meeting up with him as soon school is over." He glanced at Will, for the first time showing that he recognized him, and smiled.

"Why _are_ you in Hoenn?"

"The Ranger Union sent me to investigate some things. I'm not actually supposed to talk about it, sorry."

"What advice could you give us about travelling?"

"When travelling, always bring water. I seriously can't stress this enough. Whenever you get to a town, stock up on supplies first, seriously, if you forget, you're screwed. Uhh, berries are always good to have. Usually, Pokémon will be more comfortable eating a berry to get better rather than being sprayed with one of those potions or antidotes or whatever, however, make sure you always have the man-made stuff with you; berries do go bad after a while. Lastly, remember that Pokémon are more in tune to the environment than you are. Be aware of how your Pokémon, as well as the wild Pokémon are acting. If wild Pokémon suddenly stop appearing, or are fleeing from somewhere, and your Pokémon is starting to get restless or nervous, that's usually a sign that it's dangerous. Most likely a large, enraged Pokémon or a natural disaster."

"Could you give us advice on how to handle a Pokémon that won't listen to you, and how to train a Pokémon?"

"Well, I don't actually train Pokémon, but I can tell you to remember that Pokémon have limits, just like you or I do, you have to be aware of these limits. And if a Pokémon doesn't listen to you, it's probably because it feels neglected, or it doesn't respect you. I certainly hope that none of the Pokémon in your care are ever neglected, and if it doesn't respect you, then you will have to figure out how to earn its respect. Typically, if it is just a proud Pokémon, it can be done by showing you care about it and all your other Pokémon. If it doesn't respect you because of something about you, then you have to figure out what that is and work with the Pokémon on it. Always remember to treat your Pokémon with respect. If you don't respect your Pokémon, it probably won't respect you."

"What's your view on pokephilia?" The girl in black asked. I don't know why she stands out to me… eh, I'll figure it out later.

"The hell did that come from?" Hunter sighed, "Honestly, the most I can really say about that is that Pokémon are more human than most people think. Personally, I'm not against it, but I've had to arrest a fair number of people for it. It is illegal in Almia, after all."

"How did that feel?" Serena asked her first question. "Arresting someone for something you don't believe is wrong?" She sounded genuinely concerned for Hunter.

"Horrible. I felt like I was punishing someone for no reason. And it's surprisingly common. I'm glad that it's legal in Hoenn, I won't have to do that anymore."

"Have _you_ ever done it with a Pokémon?"

"Huh? No, I've never done that."

"Would you want to?"

"Isn't this supposed to be about Rangers?! Come on guys, let's drop the subject."

"No! Would you want to?" A boy, a different one from the one who asked first, said. "It's interesting to see how a Ranger views Pokémon."

"Arceus, fine! I would! Off the record, yeah, I'd do it. Not in Almia, there's no way I'd disobey a law I have to enforce, but in Hoenn, where it's legal, I'd do it… But don't tell anyone, I'm not sure how the Union would react if they found out."

"Is there any specific Pokémon you have in mind?"

"Dude! The hell?!" Hunter was now blushing profusely. "I don't think this is school appropriate!"

"So there is?"

"W-we're changing to a different subject now!"

"Is it your partner?"

"Come on guys, please?" By this point, I was gasping for air because I was laughing so hard. While Hunter being into Pokémon came as a surprise, it was a rather hilarious surprise.

At this point, Blaze, who was laughing nearly as hard as me, took control of himself and stepped up beside Hunter. Blaze tapped him on the shoulder, and when he turned to look, Blaze leaned in and gave Hunter a kiss. It wasn't long, but it wasn't short either, and it was full on mouth-to-mouth. Once Blaze stepped away, Hunter exclaimed, "B-Blaze?! D-don't do tha—"

"Aha, so it is your partner. And you're already halfway there, good job man."

"Th-that's not funny! Blaze, why'd you—"

"Shut up, idiot." Blaze said teasingly, embracing Hunter from behind.

"Top or bottom?" One of the students called out. Arceus, I'm going to die here. I'm going to die laughing.

"S-seriously?! I-I think we got a little off subject!"

"Well, we can learn whether our favorite Ranger is a dominant or submissive person in comparison to his Pokémon."

"Y-you have got to be kidding me! Th-there's no way I'm answering that!"

Blaze once again took control of his laughter and, only just holding back enough that he had complete control over his body, pointed to himself, then at the ceiling.

"I see," One of the students held his hand to his chin in a thinking position, nodding sagely, "So our favorite Ranger is the submissive one then… Interesting." Not one girl at this point was capable of doing anything other than giggle profusely, even the girl in black, who seemed cold to me, was covering her mouth with a hand and laughing lightly. Will, with his uncanny ability to control himself, hadn't even smiled. His face was completely blank, but a couple people even had to sit down. Personally, I was literally rolling on the floor laughing. Something about Hunter's embarrassment was just so unbelievably hilarious.

"Q-quit laughing! It's not funny! C-come on guys, quit it!"

One of the girls gasped and took deep breaths before calming enough to say, "Can we watch?" Of course this brought another laughing fit just as some of them seemed to be calming.

"W-what?! N-no! W-what's wrong with you people?!"

Another girl called out, "Will you record it?"

"Th-that's it! Class dismissed!"

Once everyone had calmed down enough to walk out of the auditorium (which took a couple minutes), the class started leaving. I darted forward to rub up against Hunter's leg, and then after I had done the same to Blaze, I hurried back to Will. "Okay, that was great. That almost made up for not being able to fight."

As the students, some of which were stumbling from still laughing, made their way out the door, I heard the principal, who was waiting patiently on the other side of the door and heard nothing of Hunter's embarrassment, only seeing the smiling faces of all the students, say, "I'm so glad that they enjoyed the Ranger's lesson."

"Crazy old man." I muttered.

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**A/N: I am writing this story mostly to improve my skills as an author, so any feedback, especially advice/constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.**

**Hey, if you could, leave me a comment on the length of the chapters. This one is about 6,000 words. Is it too long? Too short? Just right? I'm having trouble because it feels like a lot less when I read it than when I write it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm soooo sorry it took so long, but I really screwed up posting the first chapter when I did. There's not really a problem with it, but I failed to predict that I'd spend so much time obsessing over a new anime (I love Fairy Tail.) and attempting to figure out where exactly I want _this_ story to go. I've got most of it planned out in my head, so it's mostly just a matter of writing it now, so hopefully I can stay on track with this and pull through! To be honest, I really started to doubt the first chapter, and nearly took the story down because I don't really like it. But my two reviews gave me strength and I'm finally back with chapter two which in my opinion is way better than the first one :3! **

**Braindead123: Potential is good :-) It makes me feel good. And Kit is an eevee. I reviewed the chapter and it is mentioned, though I can see how you'd miss it. I'm sorry for the confusion, and I thank you for your review!**

**TheFireBuizel: Thank you! I was just wondering because I didn't look at the word count until the chapter was already done, and after writing this one, I feel like I'm pretty comfortable with long chapters, although I can't guarantee consistency, mostly because I'm not that experienced yet. Also, to answer your question, I _do_ plan on continuing this! It's just... well I kind of said it above so I won't waste space saying it again, but thank you for your interest in the story! **

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**Leaf POV: **Five Days Before Graduation

Arceus, I can't believe my question caused all that embarrassment. I kind of feel sorry for that Ranger. I was actually legitimately curious; pokephilia is a largely debated topic after all. To hear what a Ranger, one of the people striving to protect Pokémon, thought of it was extremely informative. To hear that that Ranger was interested in his Blaziken was kind of hilarious, yet sad at the same time. Inevitably, he's going to end up going back to Almia, what will he do then? After who knows how long in Hoenn having a happy relationship with his Pokémon, what will he do when it suddenly becomes illegal again? I suppose it's not my problem, but I can't help but feel bad that I can't help him. While I'm not particularly interested in relationships of any kind, I do appreciate the fact that they make some people happy, and I want people to be happy. So I can't help but wonder whether their impending doom is going to hinder their relationship. Hell, even here, while pokephilia is generally accepted (As one of the two regions that it is legal, the majority of the population either practices it, or approves of it. Most others have moved elsewhere.) Homosexuality, surprisingly, isn't. Luckily for him, all fifteen of us are fine with it. Well, there's no telling what that one kid is thinking, he's never talked, nor showed any emotion. Regardless, the Ranger got lucky with our group. I don't quite understand it, personally. People are saying that Pokémon are intelligent enough to give consent, yet a male-male relationship is a sin. Granted, the reasons for disapproving or approving one and the other are different, but you'd think if someone is open-minded enough that they can accept an inter-species relationship, a homosexual relationship would be perfectly fine. I suppose people here are just drilled to accept pokephilia. I doubt they are open-minded at all, it's just they were told pokephilia is okay, so that's what they believe. Why am I a human? For such an intelligent race, we're generally rather stupid. _"Misanthropic tendencies don't get you anywhere, Leaf."_ I thought, pushing my long, straight, black hair back out of my face as I walked.

Without thinking, I took a black pen out of my pocket and made another tally mark on my forearm. _"Twenty-two huh? Is everyone acting more stupid today or am I more depressed than usual?"_ I've gotten into the habit of keeping track of how many times I think something against humans, myself, individuals who haven't really done anything to me, or excessively depressing. Usually it's around fifteen or so by the end of the day. I remember when I first started, I ran out of room on my arm, and now twenty-two is above average. _"I'm getting better."_ Suddenly, it occurred to me that all the geniuses this year are anti-social. There's myself, the kid who doesn't talk, and another girl who is one of those people who kind of just fade into the woodwork. As I like to say, we prefer to observe rather than be observed. That Ranger is the complete opposite. He seemed to love the spotlight, but not in an obnoxious way. For the most part, I don't like the people who like attention, but he seemed like he didn't like it purely because people gave him attention. He's the kind of guy that takes joy in pretty much everything because he is actually capable of _seeing_ the joy in everything. If you compare him to me, he's the one that stops to smell the roses, and I'm the one who sees nothing but thorns. An attitude like his is what allows him to be happy, even when things seem down, so I think his relationship with that blaziken will be just fine. Still, I hope the Ranger Union doesn't find out. They could kick him out, arrest him, or worse if they do.

"_He said that he was meeting an old friend, didn't he? If his friend is the same age as him it's likely that he goes to this school. Also he said right after school. It's right after school now. I wonder if he found his friend."_ I walked through the endless river of people that 'walked' through the hallways on my way out. Honestly, these people walk so slowly. I can't stand wasting my time waiting for them to hurry up. I sighed, _"Well, I pass by the auditorium on my way off campus, maybe I'll see that Ranger. If I do, I'd like to see who exactly that friend is. Then again, it's not really my business, I can't imagine that it would be anyone I know anyw— the hell? Why is he talking to _him_? Doesn't he know that kid doesn't talk?"_ When I looked over, I saw the Ranger with the silent kid. (I swear I knew his name a minute ago.) And to my surprise, they began walking off together. _"His friend couldn't possibly be…" _But now that I think about it, it makes some sort of sense. He said they were best friends until they were separated at a young age. Could this be the reason behind this boy's silence? Did his feelings getting the best of him, and now he has set up barriers, namely silence and an emotionless mask, to keep people from getting close? Is he afraid that if he makes friends, they will leave him like this Ranger did? Am I thinking way too far into this, and the boy has just chosen this particular time to make an attempt at being social, because of graduation maybe?

Blame it on curiosity, or maybe I'm just a twisted person, but I ended up following them. They were headed for Littleroot or Oldale; that much I _thought_ was safe to assume when they neared the forest east of Petalburg. Soon after though, the silent boy lead the Ranger into the forest. Only a couple minutes in, the eevee barked. The silent boy nodded his head and stopped walking. When a slight breeze blew past me, I realized I had been caught. I was upwind of them, no doubt the eevee could smell me. Nonetheless, I hardly dared to breathe. In the small chance I hadn't been seen, I wanted desperately to stay that way. There's a reason they say the forest is dangerous. Not only do you have to worry about wild Pokémon, but if someone attacks you, or if an accident happens, there's no telling how long, if ever, it'll be before you are rescued or found. The Ranger seems like a nice guy, but I'd just rather not be seen. A stalker can't exactly expect to be treated kindly. A mix between awe and terror flooded my mind when the silent boy spoke.

"Why are you following us?" I dared not answer. "I know it's you Leaf. You think I wouldn't recognize another genius?" Still, I remained silent. "Hunter," he turned to the Ranger, "Keep walking straight until you come to a cliff. I'll catch up to you."

Nodding, my safety net dissolved under me. I knew that with the Ranger around, even if I had been caught, no bodily harm could come to me. But as the Ranger walked away, the fact that I'm alone in a forest hit me full force. I may as well be standing in the open, for he seemed to know exactly where I am, and he could do _anything_ if he wanted. Assault, rape, murder, it doesn't end there. This boy is a wild card. I've no idea what his personality, temperament, or abilities are. I'm completely at his mercy. "Come out. I promise nothing will happen to you." I also don't know whether he can be trusted, nonetheless, reluctantly, I stepped into view. "Why have you been following us?"

"I was gathering information." I hope he can't see my trembling.

"Information on the both of us, or me specifically?"

"Both, but mostly you."

"I see. Why?"

"To sate my curiosity."

"And what exactly have you gathered?"

"Only that you are the friend he referred to in class, and that when you were young, he left. From there I have theories only."

The boy seemed to find this enjoyable and to be honest, I kind of did to, so long as it stays as it is, just a conversation. I might be able to figure out this boy's history. "And what are those theories?"

"I have no doubt that his leaving had a strong impact on you. From that fact, I determined that that may play a part in your silence at school."

"Ah, I see." The boy said. "You think that because I lost a friend as a child, it led me to avoid friendships for fear that they to, would leave me?"

I made a grunt and nod of confirmation. Will he confirm my theory? "Unfortunately, this theory is false. While Hunter's absence has affected me in many ways, and in part contributed to my silence, it is not the sole reason, nor am I avoiding friendships. You see, Kit here," He gestured to the eevee beside him, who looked rather bored, "Is a great friend. And many of the pokemon in this part of the forest could be considered my friends."

"So just no humans?"

"Yes, no humans. I'm willing to talk to a few though… here, not in the city."

"Why this forest though? Why not another place? Littleroot Town, for example, it is rather small, why choose to talk here?"

He smiled, an easy smile, a smile one wouldn't imagine on his face after a year of no expression. "Two reasons. One, there are next to no humans here. I'm more comfortable that way, even a small town like Littleroot can become a little overcrowded for my tastes. And two, this is my home."

Well, this is suddenly becoming much more informative than I dared hope. I can see how he would be more comfortable with fewer humans around; I am too, but the second part…"Your home?"

"Exactly. I've lived here nearly my whole life."

"And what do your parents think of this?"

"What would _your_ parents think if _you_ lived in the forest?"

My parents… bad question. I never knew my parents… I never knew any replacement parents. There were people at the orphanage who took care of me of course, but never a parental figure. My foster parents care about me. They really do. And they support me and encourage me to the best of their abilities but… I feel no attachment to them. I taught myself from the beginning to take care of myself, and I'm good at it. But he doesn't need to know that. "They would worry."

The boy smiled again. A sad smile, a smile that told me he already knew of my background. How does he know this? "I know about you Leaf. You never had parents. You speak of your foster parents, and they would worry, it's true, but we're more alike than you realize."

"You're an orphan?" It would explain a lot actually. Emotional separation, distancing oneself from relationships, he really does share many things with me.

"Yes. My parents died before I was old enough to remember. As I understand it, it happened just after I was born. Instead of living in an orphanage or with foster parents, I came here."

Understandable really, many times I thought about running away and living in the forest, I've just never been brave enough to do it. Although, since I'm going to be leaving town soon to start a Pokémon journey, I imagine survival skills like his would be useful. Just in theory, survival skills are useless, like the teachers who don't really know what they are teaching. But someone who has lived, thrived even, in the forest, I could learn a lot to help when I set out. There's still a week of school left, "Can I come here after school until we leave?"

"Well, I guess so. Why do you ask?"

"I thought it might be beneficial to see what it's like, living in the forest. I can pick up some important survival skills for my journey."

"Well alright, follow me then. Let's meet back up with Hunter and I'll take you to my home. That way I can introduce you to mom too. You'll be safe in most of this area as long as she knows your scent. It's her territory after all." The boy smiled at me, turning away.

"Mom?"

"Oh, yeah. Well I couldn't very well survive here at the age I was when I first came to this forest. Mom is a mightyena that took me in and raised me."

Well that's interesting. Raised by a mightyena, I wonder how that will affect his behavior. We walked for several minutes before the Ranger came into view. He was sitting on the edge of a huge cliff. When I looked down, I could see a large lake resting peacefully at its base. "So you're going to be tagging along huh? Good to have you, I'm Hunter." The Ranger said, looking at me out of the corner of his eyes.

"My name's Leaf."

"Mmm, that's a nice name. It suits you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well," The Ranger's eyes were now fixed on the distant horizon, "A leaf is, in essence, a part of a whole. Yet it doesn't really last long does it? A leaf, singularly, yet also as a collective, it dies, and falls. I can see that in you. You've died. But you haven't fallen, even when everyone else has. You stay clinging to your branch. It seems sad, lonely, perhaps you've even convinced yourself that you don't need anyone else, but I believe that in time, spring will come. Maybe you'll be revived. Maybe you'll make friends." He smiled pleasantly.

An interesting point of view, truly, but there are flaws with it, "And what happens when winter comes again?"

"Well then you'll just have to hold on again won't you? Because you'll know, spring is on its way. You're strong enough to handle it, I know, I can tell. You're a strong person, one strong enough even to survive the winter once. Is it so impossible to survive it again? And again, and again?"

This boy, Hunter Stone, has the most convincing form of optimism. He makes everything sound so… So crystal clear, "So black and white."

"Hmm?" Hunter asked, looking at me again.

"You make everything sound so black and white."

"And how should it sound? Uncertain? Tell me, how do you see the world? Is it black and white, or is there grey area?"

"There is no black and white. Everything is grey to me. How about you? How do you see the world?"

Hunter laughed quietly, "In color of course. Black, white, grey, they're all there. But people always leave out what really makes this world great. Blue, green, yellow, red, violet, orange, they're what I see. They're what make this world such a great place. The things about this world I love most, Blaze, the sunrise, Will, Kit, and you, they're all in color. They all have so many colors that it is impossible to name them all."

I was taken aback. Me? How could he include me as something worth the time to love? "Me? I'm not in color. I'm just grey." I said this more to myself than him, and I meant it. _"Twenty-three"_ I mentally added another tally mark, as I don't want them asking what the lines on my arm mean.

He laughed at this. A friendly, playful laugh, "Of course you're in color. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there."

It's strange how different people's views can be. Everything my entire life has been one dull shade, a monotonous, slow grey. Yet then he comes along and insists that there is more there. Maybe he's right. Maybe he isn't. Maybe the world is a canvas. His is colored because he took the time to color it. Mine is grey, because I haven't yet realized what it is I _want_ from this canvas. What exactly do I want it to show? Maybe it just comes easier to people like him. Maybe it takes a lot of effort. Is that why everyone else's lives seem so grey also? Have they given up on their canvas? Will I give up on mine? Maybe I need to get back into reality. Maybe metaphors aren't the best way to approach this new perspective. Maybe I need to get rid of all these 'maybe's and focus on the facts.

"My life is grey." Will said, quietly. "But I think, maybe, it'll turn to color soon." He smiled at me, then at Hunter, then at Kit, then back at me. "Yours probably will too."

I sighed, and looked out toward the horizon. The wind felt good, and before realizing it, I was talking. Not to Hunter, not to Will, not to myself, just talking to the world as I sometimes do.

"Sad winds blow me from my tree,  
And it doesn't take a genius to see,  
That it's killing me,  
But at least I know I'm free.

From creation's birth to creation's end,  
Accursed harmonies will send,  
The world's lost daughter to the bend,  
Where all things are grey.

If thou shalt listen to this dire daughter's lament,  
And ignore her radiant raiment,  
She will sing to you her song of feeling,  
A song of loneliness humbly hidden.

In the midst of grey mist, she falls.  
Seeing nothing past the thick, wet walls,  
She can't help but wonder if there is more to it all,  
Than this dull monotone.

She lands, eventually, not on the ground.  
Instead on one like her.  
A dying leaf,  
Stripped from his branch.

A friend,  
Who can see,  
All the things,  
Wrong with me."

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. _Why_ did I just do that? I mean, I've done it before, but not with other people around! "Shit, I-I'm sorry. I-I have to go. My guardians must be wondering where I am." I started to back away. Frantic, but trying my best not to seem so, just trying to get away from these two boys who just saw me _make up a damn poem_!

When my back was to them, and I was starting on the path back, Will's voice called, "Leaf!" I paused, just for a moment. "There's nothing wrong with you." Hurriedly, I left for home.

I do that sometimes when I have a lot to think about, make poems I mean. It's sort of my weird way of expressing myself. I still don't understand _how_ I do it exactly; I used to suck at poetry. A long time ago though, I learned that it helped calm me down when I was confused or cheer me up when I was depressed, so after a couple years of writing purely to vent my emotions, poems started coming to me as natural as any thought, which results in me embarrassing myself in front of people because I tend to think aloud. Quietly, mind you, but still aloud.

I closed my eyes and leaned back against the nearest tree. Why couldn't I have _thought_ that damn poem? "Hey, Leaf." Hunter, just what I need right now. "That was beautiful, you know."

"No it wasn't." I growled forcefully.

"You're beautiful." The moment he said this, I felt a shockwave of emotion burst in my heart. No one had ever called me beautiful before. I'm hot, don't get me wrong, and I'm not just being conceited, I've had boys after me for years. Pretty annoying actually, but still, 'beautiful' was a word I've yet to hear be used to describe me. It's not a word _I_ would use to describe me.

"You're lying. You're trying to take my mind off the poem with a compliment."

"The poem was as beautiful as you are. And I wasn't lying." That boy is so… I don't even know what to say about him.

"You're starting to sound like one of my stalkers." I do have stalkers, creepy little buggers, but of course, they always referred to me as 'hot'. "Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes, but that means I have no reason to compliment you, unless it's true." Idiot, that's not where I was going with that question.

"Then go bother your boyfriend. I know what I am." Not really, I just don't like this. This conversation, this setting, it's too… personal. Honestly, I'm in the process of trying to figure out what I am exactly. I feel so separate all the time. The loneliness is only dampened through writing. Poetry, short stories, sometimes drawing, they are all that really alleviate the loneliness.

"You want to be alone. I get it, but it's not happening. You don't have to be embarrassed about the poem. As I said, it was beautiful." Beautiful or not, it was too revealing. Poems are how I vent emotion; they just heard the emotions that I never let anyone hear. "Come back with me, please. See Will's home and meet his family, if only so that you can come back. If his mom knows your scent you can come into this part of the forest freely, and then whether you come back or not is your decision. Also," Hunter glanced over his shoulder towards where we were, and where I assumed Will was. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he leaned in a bit closer. "I'm worried about him. I haven't seen him in a long time and it seems like he hasn't made any friends." He closed his eyes, and leaned on the tree beside me. "I don't want him to be alone, and I don't know when I am going to have to go back to Almia. I'm asking you, hopefully as a friend, to try to be friends with him. He's not like me; he's kind of… closed off from everyone around him. Not just recently either, back when we lived together in Rustboro he was the same. The only times he's ever actually seemed… what's the word… open, I guess, is when it was just him, Kit, Blaze, and I in the forest together. It's like he's uncomfortable with humans. He rarely talked back then, I even saved him several times 'cause he's hopeless with public speaking, but when we were alone there was no way to get him to shut up." Hunter smiled, chuckling, as he thought back on the memory. "He's hard to get to know, but he's a good person, in my opinion, a person worth knowing. Plus, you're a genius, maybe you can figure out why he can understand Pokémon like they are speaking English. I'm stumped, personally."

Well… that's interesting. I suppose I could give it a try. I can't honestly say that a friendship wouldn't do _me_ good. I'm not exactly a people person though; I wouldn't know how to approach making a friend. Oh well, I guess the first thing to do would be to stop running away. I'll have to go back, but that last bit is what really caught my attention. Someone who can understand Pokémon? I've heard of trainers who gradually gain the ability to understand their Pokémon, but that's more just being used to each other, and some people who specialize in a certain type, like some gym leaders, can learn to understand that type, but again, that's usually just conditioning. If he can understand Pokémon 'like they are speaking English' and it is all Pokémon, not just Kit and his mom and other Pokémon he is around all the time, then that is definitely an ability. A thus far unexplained ability, but an ability nonetheless, that is certainly not something you can learn, even if you live in the forest. "He can understand Pokémon? All of them or just the ones he's always been around?"

Hunter smiled, he knew he caught my attention, and I knew I'd make an attempt at friendship if only for the selfish reason of researching this odd ability. "All of them, or rather, most of them, he's told me before that fish and birds are difficult to understand, mostly fish though, he said that's because they are underwater, and that certain land Pokémon sound strange, but he can still understand them to a point. And before you ask, it's not just because he's lived with Pokémon every day. It's different than that, he understands them fluently, even species he's never encountered before, it's like he _is_ a Pokémon. I said it the way he said it. It's as if they speak English to him."

"He's always been able to understand them?"

"Yep, I've known him since we were babies. And I've had the same amount of exposure to Pokémon as he has, that's why I know he isn't just so used to them that he can speak to them."

"Sounds like an ability to me. If I were to guess, it's a lot like the ability to use aura, have you heard of it? Certain people, known as 'Aura Guardians' are born with the ability to see and control aura, most likely it is like that, just not known. Nonetheless, I'll try to be friends. No promises though, I'm not exactly a pro with people either."

He smiled happily "Really? That's great! I knew that would work!"

I raised an eyebrow at that, "Knew what would work?"

"Pointing out his ability to understand Pokémon, duh, you two are exactly alike, that's how I used to get him to talk to people, just give him something to think about and his own curiosity will make him start conversation, from there it flows and the topic can change."

"I see, make him curious and he can't stay away, and a conversation continues easier than it ends, I guess. Oh well, we should go back, I really shouldn't stay long, I made up that excuse on the spot, but my guardians really are probably worried about me right now."

Hours later, after rejoining with Will, Kit, and Blaze, I was in a dim cave being sniffed at by a curious, tiny poochyena. Will was slightly off to the side and conversing with the mightyena who was introduced to me as his 'mom' and Hunter was desperately trying to get Blaze off of him, who knew he was so ticklish? Right then, I noticed the two pokeballs on Hunter's waist for the first time. "Hey Hunter, why do you have pokeballs with you?" I yawned for the umpteenth time, honestly, I don't know why I'm so tired.

Considerately, Blaze stopped tickling him so he could answer me, but he remained sitting on him, so that he couldn't get up, it was obvious that he wasn't done with him just yet. "Oh, well the union gave me permission to carry Pokémon with me permanently because I'm in Hoenn. Since there are trainers in this region, it's safer to carry Pokémon like them rather than capture them as I travel. Blaze is strong, but he couldn't defend me if I had to fight a full six-Pokémon team. In Almia, there aren't any trainers, so if I was attacked, then it would most likely be only one or two Pokémon. One of them is Blaze's pokeball, and the other is an absol I met soon after I got here, would you like to meet him?" I nodded an affirmative and Hunter managed to get the ball off of his belt even with Blaze sitting on him. "I have to warn you though, he's kind of shy." Well okay, kind of shy isn't too bad, I mean, _I'm_ kind of shy, surely I can deal with a shy Pokémon. Upon materializing in the usual flash of light, the absol almost immediately cowered behind Hunter and Blaze. "Absol, these are my friends, Will," Will glanced over and offered a lazy wave of greeting, "and Leaf."

I smiled slightly and waved similarly to Will, offering a, "Hey," as a greeting. Absol seemed to flinch at my voice and pressed himself harder against his trainer. A little shy my ass, this Pokémon is scared of his own shadow! Absol stared at Will for nearly a minute, and then glanced at me before retreating back into his pokeball.

Hunter sighed, "Well he was out a little longer this time, I guess that's a good thing. Sorry about him, I can't seem to get him to be comfortable with… well with anything."

"You call that a little shy?" Yawning, I realized that I'd probably not make it back home. I'd fall asleep on my feet during the walk. Long day.

"Well he's been improving…" I would really hate to see him when he was first caught then. "But anyway, let's go!"

"Huh? Go where?"

Hunter smiled widely, standing along with Blaze. "Back to the cliff we were at before, I bet that place has a great view of the sunset!" You would be the person who watches the sunset. "Normally, I'd be asleep by now, I always had to get up early to patrol, but since I'm not in Almia anymore, I have the opportunity to watch the sunset with my best friends ever and my newest friend!" Hunter winked at me, "Don't worry, you'll get to 'best friend' soon." Can't wait. "Will! Wake up Kit and let's go! Mom, you come too! Oh, and Little bro, of course!" Hunter knelt down and picked up the tiny poochyena, smiling. Blaze just sighed and smiled and followed Hunter, who led the way out of the cave. As it turns out, Hunter was right. The cliff was facing the sunset and the scenery just made everything look so beautiful. If I wasn't already falling asleep at this point I might've been awestruck. Instead, I ended up resting my head on Hunter's shoulder (don't judge me, I was hardly awake.) and only barely managed to keep my eyes open when the sun crossed the horizon.

When I awakened, I was on the dirt floor of the cave where Will lived. Hunter and Blaze were nowhere to be found and Will was sound asleep on his back with Kit sleeping on his chest. Glancing outside, I saw that it was still rather dark out. As I was stepping outside, a voice interrupted the silence.

"Kivara! Kivara, where are you? Ow! How'd that tree get there?" Looking over toward the sound, I saw another one of the graduating students, one of the ones randomly selected, come stumbling through the undergrowth, holding a hand to his head. "Oh hey, a person! Wait, I know you! You're Leaf, one of the geniuses right? Hey, have you seen a vulpix come through here?"

Well this is a random way to wake up. "No, sorry, I just woke up."

"I see. Sorry to have bothered you—wait… you just woke up? Why were you sleeping in a cave," The boy leaned over slightly to glance inside, "With that other genius? You're friends with the silent kid?" Suddenly, his eyes widened, "You weren't…"

"No, we weren't doing that." People always jump to conclusions don't they? Most of those conclusions having to do with sex I'm sure. "We're just friends and I fell asleep while we were talking last night."

He gave me a blank stare, "You got him to talk? Whatever, it doesn't matter; I have to go find Kivara." Frantically, he started to walk away just as Hunter came into view carrying a vulpix. Catching sight of the vulpix, the boy exclaimed, "Kivara! Geez, Kivara, don't run off like that!"

Hunter smiled, "I assume this vulpix is yours?"

Smiling sheepishly, the boy nodded, "Yeah, I hope she didn't cause any trouble."

"No trouble at all." Barking, Kivara jumped out of Hunter's arms and ran to the boy.

"She says 'I found him'. Why were you looking for Hunter?" Will appeared behind me suddenly, yawning as he addressed the boy.

"Wow! Looks like Clara won the bet. You can talk after all!" Really? People actually bet on whether he could talk or not? Oh well, not really my business I guess. "Oh, and I wasn't really _looking_ for him exactly, I just said it'd be nice to see how his relationship develops, I didn't think Kivara would _lead_ me to him. Oh, my name's Rob, by the way, nice to meet you all." Rob's sheepish smile dropped suddenly, "Hold on a sec. You said 'she says I found him'. You can understand what Kivara says?"

Will yawned again, rubbing his eyes, "Yep."

"That's amazing! So like, you can understand Pokémon? That'd sure be useful, and here I thought _I_ was lucky." Rob laughed, then checked his watch, "Oh, hey guys, we should probably be leaving soon. It's a pain, but the last week of school still requires attendance." Well the sun did rise while we were talking, and school isn't particularly close, so he's probably right.

"Yeah, let's go. Kit, you want to come?" Will looked over his shoulder at the eevee who barked and jumped onto his shoulder. Will smiled slightly, one of the few deviations from his usual emotionless expression I've seen. "Yeah, I've thought about it, and I guess I'll talk at school. Not sure who I'd talk to though, not to you, at least not a lot, I don't want to spend the entire day explaining why I'm having a conversation with a creature I shouldn't be able to understand."

"I'll talk to you, and I'm sure you'd be great friends with Clara too." Rob offered.

"I'll talk to you too." I said, after all, it's not like I have friends either, it might be nice to talk to someone during school. We aren't actually _doing_ anything in class anyway, it being the last week, the only things to do are talk, read, or have the occasional battle (assuming the teacher agrees).

Will's smile widened ever so slightly, "Thanks guys."

* * *

**Golly, I think the poem was what had me put off this chapter for as long as I did, even with the whole lack of planning thing. It wasn't hard for me to come up with, but it was _really_ hard to put it out here on the internet. Anyways,**** I am writing this story mostly to improve my skills as an author, so any feedback, especially advice/constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.**


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